


Dance With Me

by driedlasagna



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: But it isnt focused on him, But it's not i promise, Comfort, Eugene 'i love my wife' Fitzherbert, Fluff, I cant write angst anyway, New Dream, New dream being really sappy, Nobility can be NASTY, The summary makes it sound really angsty, Varian is in it for like half of the story, Yea there's some comfort, angst? but not really, fancy party, mainly eugene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:33:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25022461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/driedlasagna/pseuds/driedlasagna
Summary: "All I'm saying is that if I have to talk about vegetable sales with one more Duke…""You'll what?" Eugene teases, "it's nearly impossible for you to get annoyed at people."Rapunzel purses her lips together. "It's easy when you hear them insulting your fiancé."Eugene's smile falters.•Title is a song by Sir, Please
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 6
Kudos: 85





	Dance With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This has been sitting in my docs for who knows how long and I thought fuck it! Let's just post it. So here it is :) also this story is kinda all over the place but yknow,,,,,what else would u expect
> 
> I'm really bad at titles so I just,,,picked a song title that I guess relates to one part of this lmaooo

Eugene walks around the ballroom, checking on guards and making his own rounds. 

It's the first big fancy party since he became captain, so on one hand he's putting all he has into the job, but on the other hand he's so nervous he can barely function.

It doesn't help that he's basically on his own for this party. Because of his duties, he's unable to be with Rapunzel for the evening, only escorting her in at the beginning of the event. 

What _really_ doesn't help are the whispers and looks directed his way. 

"I can't believe the King let a thief become Captain of the Guard."

"I think he only has the position because he's engaged to the Princess."

"And to think the King and Queen are letting a _thief_ marry their daughter."

Eugene tries to shake it all off and keep a polite smile on his face whenever he makes eye contact with anyone. He has a job to do, and he's not about to let snooty bureaucrats mess him up. 

He knows his reputation in other kingdoms still isn't good. Hell, people in _Corona_ still don't like him. All he can do is do his best to show everyone he really has changed (even though it's already been _years_ ) and that he _is_ deserving of this job. It was the former Captain's idea, after all, and that guy _hated_ him!

"Eugene!"

Eugene turns to see Varian running up to him, looking beat up as if one of his inventions just exploded. 

"Varian? Kid, what _happened?"_

Varian smiles sheepishly. "Heh, well, that's why I need you. The water tanks kind of… you know…"

"Exploded again?" 

Varian looks at the ground as he scratches the back of his neck. "You guessed it."

Eugene sees out of the corner of his eye the extra stares both him and Varian are getting and he quickly moves to get them both out of the room. 

"C'mon kid, we can figure this out in the hall."

Eugene motions for two of his guards to follow them and they all end up outside the main doors to the ballroom.

"How bad is it?" Eugene asks, closing the doors behind him.

"It's just one tank, but it's… not great," Varian explains. "I have it under control enough that I could come get you, but I need some help to fully shut it down and clean up."

Eugene turns to the two guards that came out with them. 

"You heard the kid," he says, "please help him out. And do listen to him- if he says don't touch something, trust me, don't touch it."

"Yes, Captain," the guards say. 

"Varian," Eugene says, turning back to the engineer, " _please_ don't do anything stupid during this event."

Varian laughs, going to lean on the wall, but he underestimates the distance and nearly falls.

He clears his throat, recovering from his almost-fall. "You can trust me."

Eugene claps Varian on the shoulder. "I know I can. Good luck." He gives them all a two fingered salute and heads back into the party.

Almost immediately, someone jumps to his side, grabbing his arm. He yelps and immediately regrets it when he gets more Looks.

"Eugene!"

He doesn't care about those looks anymore as he recognizes the voice. Smiling, he looks to his side and sees Rapunzel nearly hanging from his arm. 

"Blondie," he says, "I've missed you."

"It's been two hours," Rapunzel teases. 

Eugene brushes a stray lock of hair behind Rapunzel's ear. "Two hours too long, in my opinion."

She grins. "Dance?"

"Huh?"

Rapunzel starts pulling Eugene towards the dance floor. "We should dance!"

"Sunshine, I have to do my rounds-"

"My dad said one dance won't hurt." Rapunzel stops right before the dance floor, "please?"

Eugene can't help the lovesick smile that forms on his lips. 

"Of course, Sunshine."

Luckily the current dance happening is not the more upbeat, switching partners type of dance, and Eugene relishes in the fact that it's just him and Rapunzel.

"How has your evening been?" Eugene asks as they begin to glide around the room.

Rapunzel shrugs. "Alright, I guess. I just forgot how _draining_ these events are and how boring some of the conversations can be."

Eugene laughs. 

"All I'm saying is that if I have to talk about vegetable sales with one more Duke…" 

"You'll what?" Eugene teases, "it's nearly impossible for you to get annoyed at people."

Rapunzel purses her lips together. "It's easy when you hear them insulting your fiancé."

Eugene's smile falters. "Oh. You've heard them too, then?" He strains to chuckle and pass it off as a joke. "I bet they're just jealous of how good I look in a guard's uniform. It's not something everyone can pull off."

Eugene can see his joke didn't work when Rapunzel's smile doesn't reach her eyes. He brings their foreheads together before speaking again.

"Sunshine, I know it hurts to hear things like that, but it's fine, really."

"And _I_ know you're trying to brush this all off, but I don't think it's fine," Rapunzel says. "You've _changed,_ Eugene, and you're good at your job. The fact that they can't see that and instead make assumptions and comment on our relationship-" 

There's a muffled _bang_ and the chandeliers shake, stopping the band and everyone else in the room. 

Eugene groans. "Nothing to worry about, I have this taken care of," he says loudly, addressing the room. He steps out of Rapunzel's arms reluctantly, explaining the problem when he sees her questioning look. 

"Varian."

"Oh. I'm coming with."

"Blondie-" 

Rapunzel takes Eugene's hand. "I'm coming."

Eugene smiles softly and squeezes Rapunzel's hand. 

"Carry on everyone," he says, gesturing around the room with his free hand as he and Rapunzel start to leave.

The chatter slowly starts up again and they hear the band start to play before closing the doors behind them.

•

"Varian?"

"Kid?"

Rapunzel and Eugene carefully walk down the stairs that lead into Varian's lab.

"Everything's alright!" they hear Varian call back, his voice strained. "Just a few setbacks!"

"Yeah, if that setback is something exploding again," Eugene says.

"Eugene," Rapunzel warns.

Varian meets them at the bottom of the stairs. "I promise you, _now_ I have everything under control."

They look past Varian to see the two guards Eugene sent trying to recover pieces of something. 

"Is everyone alright?" Rapunzel asks. 

"Yes, Princess," one of the guards says. 

She goes to step off of the stairs but Varian stops her. 

"There are probably shards of glass around," he says, "and well… you're not wearing shoes."

Rapunzel looks at her offending feet, wiggling her toes. She frowns. 

"I'll help clean up," Eugene offers, walking down to where the water tank, or what's left of it, stands. "Are you _sure_ everything is under control now?"

"Yes," Varian says. "Well, 95% sure."

Eugene narrows his eyes at the engineer. 

Varian grimaces. "96?" 

"You're fine, Varian," Rapunzel says, putting a hand on his shoulder, "don't worry. Eugene is just giving you a hard time."

"Hey, I have a reputation to uphold as Captain," Eugene says, throwing his hands up in defense. 

Rapunzel sighs. "Just sweep up so I can help out."

•

After cleaning up and wishing Varian goodnight, Eugene, Rapunzel, and the two guards leave the lab. 

The guards are far ahead of them, already heading back to the party to go to their assigned stations. 

Eugene and Rapunzel, on the other hand, take their time walking through the castle halls, neither particularly wanting to rush back to the party. 

"I think we should take tomorrow to ourselves," Eugene suggests, swinging their hands back and forth between them as they walk. "Maybe ride out to the walls, a boat ride… just a day to do whatever we want."

"That does sound nice." 

Eugene looks at Rapunzel, who seems to be lost in her own thoughts, looking off into the distance.

"Blondie?" he asks, "everything alright?"

Rapunzel sighs. "You'd think that they'd at least take into account the fact that you're a _prince."_

Oh. Eugene stops. _Oh, she's still thinking about the nonsense people are saying about me._

"It shouldn't matter whether you're actually royalty or not, but considering how stuck up they are, it'd make sense that that'd at least make them see you in a different light," Rapunzel continues.

Eugene places his hand on Rapunzel's cheek, causing her to move her eyes up to meet his. 

"Sunshine, there's not much I can do to make them think any different," he says, "prince or not. I didn't grow up as a prince, I grew up as a thief. If they can't see how I've changed, then that's their fault."

"But it doesn't give them the right to talk about you like that," Rapunzel says. "They don't _know_ you or what you've accomplished."

"But you do. And really, that's all I care about." 

Rapunzel wraps her hand around Eugene's wrist, sighing with a smile. 

"I love you, Rapunzel. More than anything." 

"I love you too, Eugene. It just confuses me that people don't love you like I do." 

"Well, you can't win them all over with a smoulder."

Rapunzel laughs and swings their arms forward as they begin to walk again. 

"What _really_ confuses me is how they think they're going to get an invitation to the wedding after everything they've said," Rapunzel says. 

"Ah, so that's been the goal of everyone tonight."

Rapunzel rolls her eyes. "I don't _know_ these people and they think that just because they're nobility they're automatically invited."

"When in reality, they could be replaced with a sorry excuse of a bird at the drop of a boot," Eugene jokes. He grins as Rapunzel laughs.

They suddenly find themselves approaching the ballroom doors.

"Guess we have to go back into the lion's den, huh?" Eugene says as he and Rapunzel walk up to the closed doors. 

"It's not _that_ bad," Rapunzel says, trying to convince herself more than Eugene. 

He looks over to see her staring up at the large doors, seemingly intimidated.

"Hey," he says, cupping her cheek again and guiding her head to look at him, "please don't let what they say get to you. It's hard to hear the things they say and take it with a smile, but in the end, their opinions don't matter."

Rapunzel leans into Eugene's hand, bringing hers up to cover it. "I'm going to try," she says. "You _sure_ you're alright?"

Eugene smiles softly. "I'll admit, their comments hurt, but I'm alright, I promise. You want to know how I'm able to let it wash over me?" 

"How?"

"I try to catch your eye wherever you are in the room, and when you look at me, I see you smile, your eyes bright, and I feel calm and comforted knowing that you love me as much as I love you. No matter what anyone else says or thinks."

Rapunzel hugs Eugene tightly. "You're such a sap."

Eugene laughs, hugging her back. "I know."

"Did you learn that in your Flynn Rider days?" Rapunzel asks, looking up at Eugene.

He brushes a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling. "No," he says, "that sap is all Eugene Fitzherbert. It's your fault, you know."

Rapunzel smiles, poking his nose with her finger. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

She steps back from Eugene and takes his hand as she walks towards the doors. 

"Come on, my dad will probably send a search party out if we're not back soon."

Eugene laughs and trails behind Rapunzel as they walk inside.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is always welcome :) I'm working on other fics so maybe I'll get some more stories out soon!


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